The present invention relates to a therapy buddy and in particular to a therapy buddy which is configured as a personal companion and which is also provided with a capacity to render words of comfort which are emotionally beneficial and which reduce anxiety.
Transitional objects are known in the prior art. For example, children are often provided with dolls or teddy bears so they can have a companion that is physically close and due to their tactile proximity, the child derives fun and comfort from the doll or teddy bear or also plush animal. Also typical as a transitional object is a baby blanket that is carried everywhere and that the child sleeps with for comfort. Toys can also bring comfort to a child as a playmate or even when the child is in distress. Even though a child may derive comfort from these toys, and oftentimes, the presence of a doll, teddy bear or plush animal will calm a child or can provide emotional well being to the child; they are mostly designed for entertainment and amusement.
The drawback of a doll or a teddy bear as a transitional object is mainly that dolls and teddy bears and plush animals are configured for children geared to the age group of children and thus, as toys are predominantly designed for entertainment and amusement although a toy may calm a child and for that reason they may have some aspects of comforting a child.
In the adult world however, there are many instances in which a person encounters either stress or where a person can benefit from a transitional object. Research has shown that adults can also benefit from the proximity of an object that offers tactile contact and that is soothing or that even can render soothing words. In clinical terms, a transitional object is the halfway point between receiving comfort and nurturing from a mother or other primary care giver and total reliance on the self which performs soothing functions and the development of enduring psychic structures in a person which eventually permit self-healing of the person.
A transitional object taps into the natural human self-preservation instinct. Studies in personality theory by Donald Woods Winnicott (1954, 1960) have shown that the concept of the seemingly universal need of a transitional object exists. When a person is at an emotional low point, where hopelessness and helplessness is felt, there is however always a reservoir of resilience available in that person. The transitional object can make someone aware of this self-healing ability and can guide a person back to a healthy balance of mind, body and spirit.
Winnicott possessed a profound appreciation for the developmental tasks of the early stages in life, in particular the concept of “the other”. For Winnicott, the fundamental aspect of the human experience was the need for the other to become the one's self. In one of his papers published in 1958, he points out that that the capacity to be alone rests upon the capacity to be alone in the presence of the other. One cannot speak of “self” without at the same time talking of the “other”. Winnicott's concept of the transitional object published in 1951 has been adopted within the framework of psychotherapy. The transitional object is the halfway point between total reliance on the actual presence of the self-object to perform soothing functions and the development of the enduring psychic structures within the self which permits self-soothing. The transitional object of a blanket, imaginary companion, or special toy in childhood allows the child to keep the mother/self object present in the child's consciousness, even in the absence of the mother. In the same vain, adults who have not been able to internalize the “good object” in childhood need a soothing self-object when experiencing anxiety and/or depression. Life transitions precipitate strains within the individual due to the stimulation of existing internal conflicts and heightened disequilibrium between the self and the environment.
A drawback of conventional talking articles is the intention of entertainment without any consideration to the continuous reassurance of emotional stability and mental health necessary when experiencing anxiety or depression. Combining the effects of the adjustable arms of the therapy buddy, a unique smile, and continuous reassuring spoken words, the therapy buddy provides the soothing and self-preserving function, which other figures having a talking function fail to simulate. The natural self-healing behavior of the transitional article is dependent on the configuration of the transitional article so that various types of users have the ability to gain the comfort of the transitional article.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved transitional object to obviate prior art shortcomings and to provide a transitional object that can be used at any age and in any situation where a transitional object can have therapeutic input.